Condenser or pump.



W. P. SKIPFINGTON.

GONDBNSBR 0R PUMP.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN..12, 1910.

Patented July 22, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

coLuMm PLANOGRAPN CO..v\'/AsHxNaToN. D. c.

W. P. SKIFFINGTN. GONDENSEB. 0R PUMP.

APPLIUAMON rILED JAN. 12, 1910.

. 1,067,888. Patented July 22,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES.' [NVE/WOR wrnnrnivr P. SKIFFINGTON, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONDENSER OR PUMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2a, i913.

n Application led January 12, 1910. Serial No. 537,595.

[o all whom it may concern Be it known that WILLIAM I. SHIF- riNoroN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Condensers and Pumps, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

My invention relates to condensers and pumps, and has for its objects increased condensing and pumping efliciency, compactness, and the effective combining in a single apparatus of the condensing", air pumping, and vacuum-producing functions or operations.

Other objects are extreme' simplicity and inexpensiveness of construction, non-liability to derangeinent, and durability.

My invention includes means for projecting two sheets of a condensing liquid or a comparatively dense fluid, with a Sheet of vapor or lighter fluid inclosed between them, and with both sides of the s'heetof vapor or lighter fluid in contact with the sheets of condensing liquid or denser fluid, the direction of flow of each fluid being from a center toward the periphery.

My invention more particularly includes means for centrifugally impelling or projecting the sheets of condensing liquid or dense fiuid through an annular throat and for supplying' an annular sheet of vapor or lighter fluid within and between the annular projected sheets of condensing liquid' or dense fluid.

My invention also includes means for projecting from the center toward the periphery two sheets of active fluid with a sheet of fluid to be acted upon inclosed between the two sheets of active fluid and with both sidesk of the sheet of fluid to be acted upon in Contact with the sheets of active fluid.

My invention alsov includes various features of construction and combinations of parts as will hereinafter appear.

I shall now describe an apparatus embodying my invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and shall thereafter point out my invention in claims.

Figure l is a central longitudinal vertical section of the complete apparatus, partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on a plane indicated by thev line lll- II of Fig. l, as viewed from the right. Fig. 8 is a detail end view of the impeller as viewed from thc left of Figs. l and 4. Fig. 4 is a vertical central longitudinal section of the impeller as seen in Fig. l, and as indicated by the line IV-IV of Fig. 3 and as viewed from the right.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, a casing for the apparatus is shown as made up of two end and bearings-containing parts l and 2, `respectively, and two middle and impellercontaining parts 3 and 4, respectively, all rigidly secured together, for example by bolts, as shown in Fig. 2. The middle and impeller-containing parts 3 and 4 are in the form of annular disks, which are properly shaped and spaced to produce between them an annular throat 5. The throat 5 is of considerable radial length and flares both inwardly and outwardly from a narrower median portion, that is to say, the throat 5 first converges outwardly from the center and then diverges outwardly toward the peripheries of the disks 3 and 4, as shown in Fig. l. The throat 5 at its periphery opens into an annular receiving chamber G formed between the outer or peripheral portions of the disks 3 and 4. The receiving chamber 6 is provided at its upper portion with overflow openings or discharge openings 7 shown as arcuate slots in the disks 3 and 4. The throat 5 at its central portion opens laterally in both directions into the end casing parts l and 2, respectively, forming central openings in the disks 3 and 4.

A horizontal rotary impeller shaft 8 passes transversely centrally through the disks 3 land 4 and is journaled in the end casing parts l and 2, passing to the outside of the casing part 2 through a packing gland, as shown in Fig. l of the drawings, and having a driving pulley 9 secured upon it at its outer end. The impeller shaft 8 carries, within the casing, a centrifugal impeller, shown in the drawings as formed in one integral piece. This iinpeller comprises a hub l0 secured upon the shaft S, two oppositely arranged sleeves 12 merging into a pair of annular disks or shields ll, spaced apart to form an annular nozzle, and a series of impelling vanes 13. The nozzle disks or shields 1l extend into the converging throat between the annular disks 3 and 4 and are spaced from the disks 3 and 4 and from each other, peripherally converging to form the annular nozzle. The disks 11 merge gradually, as shown in Figs. 1 and into the sleeves 12, which form annular spaces or passages around the shaft 8 and also form other annular spa-ces between the sleeves 12 and the end casing parts 1 and 2. These sleeves 12 extend from the disks 11 oppositely along the shaft S, and at their outer ends have a close lit in the respective casing parts 1 and 2, communicating at their outer ends respectively with passages 14 formed in such casing parts and leading from the outside thereof, as seen in Fig. 1. Twin steam supply pipes 15, which preferably lead from a common source, are shown as screwed into the respective casing parts 1 and 2 and opening into the passages 14, respectively. The impelling vanes 13 extend both between and outside of the nozzle disks 11. They join the hub 10 to the sleeves 12 and to the disks 11, and also join together the disks 11, and project beyond the peripheries of these disks. To increase their centrifugal impelling effect, these vanes are shown as curved backwardly, as most clearly shown in Fig. 3. The vanes 13 fit closely, yet rotatably, in the converging portion of the throat 5, extending farther into such throat than the nozzle disks 11, the nozzle disks 11 being arranged concentrically within the disks 3 and 4L which form the throat 5.

The casing parts 1 and 2 are shownas supported upon legs formed by water supply pipes 16, respectively secured at their upper ends to downward openings in these casing parts, and the water supply pipes are shown as provided at their lower ends with foot valves 17 and strainers 18. The casing and the water supply pipes 16 are shown as located within a well or tank 19, the pipes 16 resting on the bottom of the tank, and the casing being bolted at one side to one side of the tank by bolts 20, which serve also to adjust the packing gland for the iinpeller shaft 8 carrying the driving pulley 9 at the outside of the tank 19. The tank 19 is provided with an overflow pipe 21, which communicates with the tank at a point above the inner dimensions of the casing parts 1 andA 2, so that the apparatus is sufliciently im mersed to be self-priming.

Then the tank is filled with water and the impeller rotated at sufficient speed in the direction indicated by the arrows in the draw ings, the water within the casing will be projected outwardly by the vanes 13, through the annular throat 5, in the form of two converging annular sheets, one such sheet passing at the outside of each inner disk 11 and between such disk and the corresponding annular outer disk 3 or t, and these two sheets of water converging together at the narrower portion of the throat 5 and being discharged into the enlarged outer portion or receiving chamber 6 from which the water is forced out through the openings 7. Tater flows to the vanes by reason of its weight and of atmospheric pressure through the pipes 16 from the tank 19, as indicated by arrows 22, to take the place of that ejected from the casing by the centrifuga action of the rotating impeller. Each sheet. of water is of annular form and is projected from the center of the annulus toward the periphery.

A supply of steam to be condensed, for example, the exhaust steam from an engine, enters, as indicated by arrows 23, through the pipes 15, passages 14: and sleeves 12 to the interior of the impeller, including he spaces between the nozzle disks 11, and is thrown outwardly by the action of the vanes, assisted by the residual force of the steam, and is propelled outwardly by ejector action and is projected peripherally as a sheet of vapor from the annular nozzle between the peripheries of the nozzle disks flowing from the center of the annulus toward the periphery and passes between the two annular sheets of water with the water in contact with it on both sides and is thereby subjected to a maximum condensing effect or influence, and its condensations are d discharged with the water into the receiving chamber and thence into the tank.

rlhe apparatus will readily operate against the pressure of the atmosphere to maintain, in the casing into which the steam to be condensed flows, a very low pressure approximating a perfect vacuum. Also any residual force in the steam will be converted into velocity and will assist in the operation of the apparatus. The steam being completely enveloped and inclosed between the two sheets of waterV will be condensed and heat further absorbed during the passage outward through the long narrow throat 5.

rllhe condensing water drawn from the tank 19, and the water of condensation resulting `from condensing the steam, along with any throat 5, the discharge water enters the annular receiving chamber 6 at a greatly reduced velocity and the large dimensions of this receiver or chamber further reduces the velocity until there is only a gentle discharge through the overflow openings 7.

From the above description it is seen that an approximate vacuum is maintained to receive the steam which is condensed, and that the condensing water, the water of condensation and the uncondensable suspensions, including air, are discharged against the pressure of the atmosphere. The two projected sheets of water, with the steam between them, produce a strong ejector action as well as high condensing efiiciency. The apparatus is therefore both a vacuum pump and a condenser and may be employed where the object is the production of a low pressure or approximate vacuum, as well as where both condensation and low pressure are desired. It should be further noted that the apparatus is axially balanced so that there is no end thrust on the rotating parts, notwithstanding' the difference of pressure against different surfaces in the rotating parts of the apparatus.

Steam has hereinbefore been referred to as the vapor to be condensed and water as the condensing agent, but it should be noted that the apparatus could be employed with other vapors to be condensed or with an uncondensable gas to be exhausted and with other condensing agents` It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the apparatus shown and above particularly described within the principle and scope of my invention.

I claim:

l. In an ejectorapparatus in combination, means for outwardly impelling from the center of the annulus toward the periphery two annular sheets of fluid, and means for outwardly supplying from the center of the annulus toward the periphery an annular sheet of less dense fluid between the annular sheets of denser Huid.

2. An ejector apparatus comprising means for producing an annular moving sheet of fluid to be acted upon flowing from the center of the annulus toward the periphery, rotative centrifugal means for projecting an annular sheet of active fiuid from the center of the annulus toward the periphery at each side of and in contact with the sheet of fiuid to be acted upon, and means for directing and guiding the peripherally moving sheets of fluid.

3. An ejector condenser comprising rotative centrifugal means for projectingl outwardly from the center of an annulus toward the periphery annular sheets of impelling and condensing fluid, means for produc ing an annular outwardly moving sheet of condensable vaporous fiuid flowing from the center of the annulus toward the periphery between the projected sheets of impelling and condensiiig fluid, and annular peripherally converging guides for producing peripheral convergence and coalescence in the annular peripherally moving sheets of fluid.

t. An ejector condenser comprising a pair of inner spaced disks, a pair of outer spaced disks coneentrically surrounding and spaced from the inner disks, means for supplying gaseous fluid between the inner disks, means for supplying liquid to both annular spaces between the outer and the inner disks, and means for iinpelling the liquid outwardly between the outer disks.

5. An ejector condenser comprising a pair of inwardly and outwardly flaring spaced disks, a pair of peripherally converging spaced disks arranged concentrically within and between and spaced from the outer disks, a conduit for vapors and gases leading into the space between the inner disks, liquid-supplying passages opening into both annular' spaces between the inner and the outer disks, and means for projecting the liquid outwardly between the outer disks.

6. A combined centrifugal ejector condenser and vacuum pump comprising a casing provided with an annular throat having a peripheral discharge opening, a rotary shaft journaled in the casing, a centrifugal impeller carried by the shaft, such impeller having spaced annular disks forming an annular nozzle in concentric alinement with the annular throat, centrifugal impelling vanes joining the disks and projecting at the outside thereof both axially and periphorally, sleeves surrounding the shaft and extending from each disk to the walls of the casing; a fluid conduit opening into each sleeve, and a fluid conduit opening into the fasing at the outside of each sleeve.

7. A combined centrifugal ejector condenser and vacuum pump comprising a casing having an annular throat first converging outwardly from the center and then diverging outwardly toward the periphery, a rotary impeller shaft journaled in the casing, a centrifugal impeller carried by the shaft, such impeller having spaced annular disks extending part way into the converging portion of the throat and forming at their peripheries an annular nozzle, iinpelling vanes joining the disks and projecting at the outside thereof both axially and peripherally into the converging portion of the throat, and sleeves surrounding the shaft and extending oppositely from the inn-er terminations of the disks to the casing and forming fluid-tight passages between the disks and the casing, annular spaces being formed between the sleeves and the casing and also between the sleeves and the shaft; a pair of supply conduits for lgaseous fiuid, one such conduit opening into the outer' end of each sleeve, and a pair of supply conduits for condensing liquid, one such conduit opening into each of the annular spaces around the sleeves.

S. A combined centrifugal ejector condenser and vacuum pump comprising a cas- Ving having an annular throat first converg ing outwardly from the center and then diverging outwardly toward the periphery, a rotary impeller shaft journaled in the casing, a centrifugal impeller carried by the shaft, suc-h impeller having spaced annular disks extending part way into the converging portion of the throat and forming at their peripheries an annular nozzle, impelling vanes joining the disks and projecting at the outside thereof both axially and peripherally into the converging portion of the throat, and sleeves surrounding the shaft and extending oppositely from the inner terminations of the disks to thev casing and forming fluid-tight passages between the disks and the casing, annular spaces being formed between the sleeves and the casing and also between the sleeves and the shaft; a pair of supply conduits for gaseous fluid, one such conduit opening into the outer end of each sleeve, a pair of supply conduits for condensing liquid, one such conduit opening into each of the annular spaces around the sleeves, and a tank supplying condensingr liquid and into which the used condensing liquid and liquid of condensation are disvcontact with the sheet of fluid to be acted v outer and the inner disks from the center of the annulus toward the periphery and into contact with each side of the sheet of fluid j to be acted upon.

ll. An ejector condenser comprising means for projecting two peripherally convergent sheets of condensing fluid outwardly from the center of an annulustoward the periphery so that the particles diverge from such center, and means for admitting vapor to the annular angular space between the peripherally convergent sheets of condensing fluid so that as the vapor is condensed between the peripherally convergent sheets of condensing fluid residual pressure in the vapor will be transformed into velocity in the same general direction of movement as that of the sheets of condensing fluid.

ln testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM P. SKIFFINGTON.

Vitnesses:

WVM. ASHLEY KELLY, BERNARD COWEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. f 

